Question 1

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'cognitive economy' in human thinking?

Accepted Answer

The tendency to invest as little mental energy as possible in processing information, often relying on shortcuts.

Question 2

A person judges that a quiet, bookish individual is more likely to be a librarian than a salesperson, despite there being far more salespeople than librarians. Which heuristic is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

Representativeness heuristic

Question 3

After a sports game, a fan claims they 'knew all along' that their team would win, even though they expressed doubts before the game. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Hindsight bias

Question 4

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'functional fixedness'?

Accepted Answer

Failing to realize that a box of tacks can be used as a candle holder in a problem-solving task.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about language acquisition in children is supported by research?

Accepted Answer

Children recognize their own name by about 6 months of age, before they can produce words.

Question 6

A bilingual child is likely to experience which of the following compared to a monolingual child?

Accepted Answer

Heightened metalinguistic insight and better performance on language tasks.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT one of the four levels of analysis that make up language?

Accepted Answer

Cognition

Question 8

The 'availability heuristic' is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Estimating the likelihood of an event based on how easily examples come to mind.

Question 9

Which of the following is a real-world example of the 'framing effect' in decision making?

Accepted Answer

Choosing a medical treatment described as having a '90% survival rate' rather than one described as a '10% mortality rate', even though both are statistically identical.

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the 'nativist' theory of language acquisition?

Accepted Answer

Children are born with some basic knowledge about how language works, such as a 'language acquisition device'.

Question 11

A person is unable to see that a tack box can be used as a candle holder in a problem-solving task. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Functional fixedness

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of an algorithm in problem solving?

Accepted Answer

Following a step-by-step recipe to bake a cake.

Question 13

According to the 'less is more' theory, why do younger children tend to learn new languages more easily than adults?

Accepted Answer

Their limited cognitive resources force them to process language in simpler, more efficient ways.

Question 14

Which of the following is true about the relationship between reading speed and comprehension?

Accepted Answer

Comprehension drops as reading speed increases above 400 words per minute.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes 'extralinguistic information' in language?

Accepted Answer

Elements of communication not part of the content of language, such as tone of voice and facial expressions.

Question 16

A person continues to use the same unsuccessful strategy to solve a series of math problems, even when a new approach is needed. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Mental set

Question 17

Which of the following is a key difference between human language and nonhuman animal communication?

Accepted Answer

Human language allows for the communication of abstract and complex ideas.

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of the 'representativeness heuristic' leading to an error in judgment?

Accepted Answer

Assuming a person who wears glasses and reads a lot is more likely to be a professor than a truck driver, ignoring the base rate of each profession.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the 'social pragmatics' account of language acquisition?

Accepted Answer

Children learn language by inferring meaning from social interactions and context.

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of 'thin slicing' in cognitive processing?

Accepted Answer

Making a snap judgment about someone's trustworthiness after a brief encounter.

Thinking, Reasoning, and Language: Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards